Vehicle-frame.



A. L. PUTNAM. VEHKCLE FRAME. APPLICATlON FILED 1AN.19,1915.

Patented May 2, 1916.

gluvauto p 2567] lvfflanv UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALDEN L. PU'INAM, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO DETROIT PRESSED STEEL COIVIIPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

\ VEHICLE-FRAM E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patent-ed May 2, 1916.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALDEN L. PU'INAM, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at'Detroit, in the county of lVayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehiclel rames, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

he invention relates to vehicle frames, and more particularly to the construction of the side sills and spring hangers thereof.

it the object of the invention to obtain a construction formed solely from sheet metal and which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

in the. drawings: lligure l is plan view o the end portion of my improved frsunc; g. a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a cross section on line aJ-a2 Fig. 1; and l ig. i is a perspective view thereo lathe present state of the art it is usual to form the side sills of automobiles of id sheet metal channel beams opening The ends of the sills are also psi-rider} with horns or hangers for attach merit to the spring suspension. To forma st" 1 completely of sheet metal and a single blank would require complex i'iperaticns and would also require a hlanl of a form which would involve con 1.2le Waste in cutting. liurthermorc, ge of the sheet metal is uniform the ortion adjacent to the hanger he deficient in strength; and still dil'liculty is in forming the bifurhaving parallel sides from the unit in which the channel portion is i the inner side.

improved constrl'ictien l avoid :i ities by forming the sill and rare tc sheet metal blanks, which the xngth of the structure. i cut from metal with an 5n gle hlanli, and. the do:

pressing them are also eim- A the sill which form having too V 1?) and B extending inward from the onnecting vertical wee C. This sill termir s at a point adjacent to the hanger and. the latter formed from a sepato each other in such a manner rate blank, also of channel section but turned with its open side at the bottom. This permits of readily forming the parallel sides l) and D for receiving the pivot pin of the suspension, also the top web E curved downward at the end to form a hood, while extending from this portion is a shank portion F for fitting in the channel of the sill. The shank portion F is preferably of channel shape at the point of entrance in the end of the sill, and is then cut away to form an anglesection having the adjacent sides G and G. The side G extends in vertical plane z'ujliacent to the vertical Well of the sill, to which it may be secured by riveting or other suitable means. The side G extends adjacent to the top flange of ihe sill and is tapered toward its inner end so as to avoid any abrupt change which migh': form. a line of weakness.

When the sill. and hanger are secnrcd together the tapering shank of the latter forms a reinforcement for the joint, so that the structure is of greater strength than possible where made of a single blank. Both the sill and the hanger are comparatively simple in structure and can be made by Slfl'lple die operations, while the opening of the channel at the bottom in the hanger portion and at the side in the sill portion is readily obtained.

If desired, the sill A may he provided at its end with inturned flanges H and H, welded or otherwise-secured to each. other, so as to form a close loop surrounding the shank of the hanger.

hati claim as my invention is:

Ll. in a vehicle frame, the combination with pressed sheet metal sill having a latrallv-opcning channehsection, of a hanger at t of sill having a down 'ardly opt- .1111 l forn'iirg parallel .cs, and a imfiut top, said hangerheing provided with :1 rank cxtendlng into the channel of said and said shank having a vertical a-J -41 v" 0 Q t' 1 v f th '1 to swim I... .re \er 10a 90 o. e s11. and a. l flange adjacent to the lateral the sill, tapering toward its inner vehicle frame, the combination "scd sheet metal sill having a lat- A xzngr channel section. of a hanger formed of a separate blank, provided with a dmvn \varally-opening channel section. forming "parallel sides and a hooded tdiffiand a shank extending inwardly into the channel of said sill and changing from a channel to an angle section with a tapering lateral flange.

3. A vehicle frame, comprising a pressed sheet metal sill having a laterally-opening channel section, a hanger at the end of said sill formed from a separate pressed sheet metal blank having a do\\-'n\vardlyopening channel section forming parallel sides and a hooded top, a shank extending inward from said hanger of channel section, changing to angle section, said angle section hav ing a tapering laterally-extending flange, and a vertical Web adjacent to the vertical Web of the sill and secured thereto.

4. In a vehicle frame, the combination With a, pressed sheet metal sill having a laterally-opening channel-section, of a pressed sheet metal hanger formed from a separate blank and provided with a downwardlyopening channel-portion and a shank extending within said sill, and inturned flanges upon the flanges of said sill integrated with each other to form a closed loop surrounding the shank of the hanger.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALDEN L. PUTNAM.

\Vitnesses:

JAMES P. BARRY, HENRI E. BOWMAN. 

